In a can annular combustor system such as the GE Energy Heavy Duty gas turbine series (see FIG. 1) the turbine is typically controlled using exhaust thermocouples to measure the temperature. More specifically, thermocouple measurements are made in the exhaust of the gas turbine after combustion takes place and the combustion products are expanded in the turbine. From the temperature measurements together with other measured parameters, such as compressor discharge pressure and compressor discharge temperature, an estimated firing temperature is determined for the gas turbine. Since this measurement uses exhaust temperature measurements as an input, the estimate generated is time delayed due to velocity time lags in the products of combustion traveling from the combustor to the exhaust and the response constant of the thermocouples.